Not sure this is in any way related to what you're after, but at one point in my life, after having met several classically-trained musicians, I almost lost faith in music, but Music is quite a bit more than the characters that often make it 'happen', or those who are often able to produce the most pristine sound out of their chosen instrument. Glad I was never classically-trained in music.

Very interesting! Why were you so turned off if you don't mind my asking?

Forgive me if I try and avoid a long and possibly boring answer, but let's just say that I doubt that albums such as "Larks' Tongues in Aspic", "No Pussyfooting", "Spirit of Eden", or some pieces by J Coltrane, would have been at all possible had they been made by classically-trained musicians. BUT, let me be absolutely clear about one thing: I'm not suggesting that If you're a classically trained musician, you're necessarily doomed, BUT I do feel such type of training very often works againstMusic.

(please note I'm not really into prog rock, which is a 'genre' I mostly find very boring, often quite pretentious, pretty self-indulgent and generally seriously lacking substance, ie basically, not real music)

Please forgive me if I try and avoid a long and possibly boring answer, but let's just say that I doubt that albums such as "Larks' Tongues in Aspic", "No Pussyfooting", "Spirit of Eden", or some pieces by J Coltrane, would have been at all possible had they been made by classically-trained musicians. BUT, let me be absolutely clear about one thing: I'm not suggesting that If you're classically trained you're necessarily doomed, but I do feel such training very often works against Music.

(please note I'm not really into prog rock, which is a 'genre' I mostly find very boring, often quite pretentious, pretty self-indulgent and generally seriously lacking substance, ie basically, not real music)

You sir, are describing a discussion that is ongoing in the music ed field. Basically, jazz majors complain that learning classical techniques and repertoire is irrelevant because those gigs are so few and classical players complain that jazz is somehow less legitimate because it is not as prestigious.

I'm in an interesting position, being a percussionist because I play for both teams. The jazz drumset/vibes I practice is what will pay the bills for now, but the classical techniques I learn are what will transfer to being a band director. Such a tangled web!

You sir, are describing a discussion that is ongoing in the music ed field. Basically, jazz majors complain that learning classical techniques and repertoire is irrelevant because those gigs are so few and classical players complain that jazz is somehow less legitimate because it is not as prestigious.

I'm in an interesting position, being a percussionist because I play for both teams. The jazz drumset/vibes I practice is what will pay the bills for now, but the classical techniques I learn are what will transfer to being a band director. Such a tangled web!

Yes, sadly paying the bills and Music don't always go hand-in-hand, and musicians often find themselves in the very uncomfortable, but very real, position of having to 'prostitute' themselves—even some real musicians—, which, unfortunately, may have deeper consequences later in life than they'll ever know: namely cynicism & despair, but that's another subject. It is also true, unfortunately, that musicians often lack other skills to help them preserve their sanity and not allow (mostly) cynicism literally kill Music.

Yes, sadly paying the bills and Music don't always go hand-in-hand, and musicians often find themselves in the very uncomfortable, but very real, position of having to 'prostitute' themselves—even some real musicians—, which, unfortunately, may have deeper consequences later in life than they'll ever know: namely cynicism & despair, but that's another subject. It is also true, unfortunately, that musicians often lack other skills to help them preserve their sanity and not allow (mostly) cynicism literally kill Music.